Developing apparatus



- Feb. 16, 1932. R. F. ALLIN DEVELOPING APPARATUS 5 Filed July 2, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOQJ F QICH'AQD FEED ALLmL I Ai s."

Feb, 16, 1932. l R. F. ALLIN DEVELOPING APPARATUS Filed July 2. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 \NVENTOQL Qm /AQD FEED DLUN- Sr T'GVAT YQ.

Patented Feb. 16, 1932 UNITED, STATES PATENT 'orrics RICHARD FRED ALLIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO EUGENE DIETZGET COM-- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE V DEVELOPING APPARATUS Application filed July 2, 1927. Serial No. 203,241.

My invention relates to devices for developing photo-copying or reproduction papers and more particularly to thosepapers which are developed by exposing them to fumes or gases.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a developing apparatus for the purpose set forth which will prevent the escape of the obnoxious gases either during the developing operation or when the roll of papers is inserted or removed from the apparatus; which will prevent the escape of fumes and gases while the paper is being transferred from the developing compartment to the airing compartment; which' will cause the quick and certain suifusion or distribution ofthe fumes or gases through or about the various folds of the roll of paper; which will provide simple means for the escape of such obnoxious fumes as do escape from the apparatus and in a manner to prevent their coming into contact with the operator of the apparatus; to provide simple and effective means for permitting the shifting movement of the container holding the fuming alkali or other chemical so as to permit the introduction into the cabinet of the paper to be developed and in a manner so that the container in one position may be convenientl filled with liquid alkali or other chemical 1i producing the fumes and without permitting the escape of the fumes during the filling operation, and in another position, will operate as a support for the screen for supportin roll of paper to be developed; to prl'ovic e an arrangement for causing-a flow or distribu tion of the fumes through the roll; to provide an improved method and apparatus for ex pediting the developing action by the action of heat; to provide an improved method and apparatus for expediting the development of the light sensitive material by the action of ammonia gas and particularly heated ammonia gas in-the' presence of water vapor for causing the injection of watervapor into the alkali fumes, for heating the air and fumes within the developing chamber to expedite the developing operation, for causing a draft of air through .the airing chamber so as quickly to displace the fumes occluded on the ' shaped cabinet,

the surfaces of the developed paper and for discharging the displaced gases into a ventilator outside of the room occupied by the operator; to provide a substantially L-shaped cabinet having its shorter leg formed as a' horizontal pan support provided with a fillmg spout and formed with a portion com--' municating with the longer leg of the cabinet which latter forms a developing chamber,

into the'bottom of which the pan may be shifted from filling position, and in provid ing a shiftable screen directly above the pan which not only may be moved to permit the insertion of the roll but which when in closed position is supported and held closed by the pan when in developing position and which screen in turn forms a foraminated support for the vertically supported roll of develop ing paper 'whereby the fumes of the alkali escaping upwardly from the pan pass through the loosely wound roll; to provide in combination with such an L-shaped cabinet an enclosing cabinet for not only providing an airing chamber for driving out the occluded gases from the developed roll but for also preventing the escape of any considerable volume of gases and for collecting and removing those gases which do escape; to provide these and other objects of invention which will become apparent from a perusal of thefollowing specification when taken in connection with the accompanying draw ings wherein,

Figure 1 is a-front view of the preferred form of my developing'apparatus,

Figure 2 is a sectional view of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view of a modified form of the L-shaped cabinet with the water chambers,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the L- Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6v is a partial view showing the pan in filling position and the door to the developing chamber open.

In general my improved developing apparatus comprises an outer cabinet 2 which stands vertically, being mounted on legs 4 so that the bottom of the cabinet is preferably at a height above the floor permitting prints forty two inches long to be easily inserted in the developing chamber. The outer cabinet is either constructed to form a secondary L-shaped cabinet within it or an L-shaped cabinet may be independently formed and assembled within the main cabinet. This L- shaped cabinet 6 preferably occupies the position within the outer cabinet 2 that is indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawings, wherein it is shown as positioned in the rear right-hand corner of the cabinet 2, so as to provide an interior developing chamber 8 formed by the long vertical leg of the L-shaped cabinet, and to provide a larger, laterally disposed airing chamber 10, the front wall 12 of the L-shaped cabinet forming a partition wall between these two chambers. The short leg of the L-shaped cabinet 6 is provided with a horizontal wall 14: formed with an opening adapted to be closed by a suitable cap or cover 16. This opening forms the means whereby the pan is filled. In addition the horizontal wall 14 forms a part of the bottom wall of the airing compartment. The L-shaped cabinet is of a depth preferably one half the depth of the-outer cabinet 2 so that the cabinet and its horizontal wall 14 occup only the rear half of the. outer cabinet. This leaves a space in the front of the outer cabinet for the transfer of the roll from the developing chamber 8 to the airing chamber 10.

The short leg of the L-shaped cabinet is provided with two spaced vertical walls 18 and 20 having an outwardly extending flange 22 over which the flange 23 attached to the ammonia tray 24 slides. The liquid containing pan '24 is constructed snugly'to fit within and slide along these ways, and the top of the pan is open. The pan is preferably provided with a drain cock. Since the inner portion of thehorizontal leg communicates with the hollow vertical leg 8 of the L-shaped cabinet 6, when the pan is in the position shown in Figure 2, which is its developing position, the fumes arising from the liquid in the pan 24: will escape upwardly into the vertical long leg 8 of the L-shaped cabinet. But when the pan is shifted outwardly, or to the left as in Figure 6, the pan will be directly under the horizontal leg of the shorter leg of the L-shaped cabinet and the opening in the pan will be closed, so that the escape of fumes is prevented. Thisis made practicable since the pan has a snug slidable fit in the L-shaped cabinet. When the opening in the pan is directly beneath the filling nozzle 16, the pan may be filled through a sliding door of the cabinet .to the left, the screen I through the end of the wall for without exposing the operator to the escapin fumes.

.lhe lowermost portion of the vertical leg of the L-shaped cabinet is provided with a foraminated door 26, preferably a screen, and preferably hinged to the side of the bottom part of the vertical front wall 12 of the L- shaped cabinet. In this position and being hinged, when the door is closed as in' Figure 2, he roll of paper 28 to be developed is supported by the screen 26 and the pan 24 in turn supports the screen'in closed position so that the escaping fumes or gases from the pan can pass upwardly through the vertical tower and through the folds of the roll of paper. When the pan is removed 26 automatically falls by the weight of the paper or by its own weight to permit the insertion of a new roll or the automatic discharge of the previously developed roll. The roll after being developed is withdrawn from the L-shaped cabinet, the relatively long le s of the stand easily permitting the roll to e passed downwardly, thence forwardly, by reason of the clearance or space between the front wall of the L-shaped cabinet and the front wall of the outer cabinet 2, along the front of the outer cabinet to the extreme left at which point the roll is introduced upwardly into the airing chamber 10. To this end I preferably provide a screen 30 upon which the lowermost end of the roll may rest while Within the airing chamber so as to permit the passage of circulating air directly upwardly through the roll and through the airing compartment 10 of the main cabinet. To this "end the top of the compartment 10 is provided with an opening 32 which if desired may be formed with a suitable conduit leading outside of the room so that the obnoxious gases are withdrawn from the apparatus an do not come into contact with the o erator or persons about the developing mac ine. The outer portion of the horizontal wall of the L-shaped cabinet forms a support for the screen 30 upon which the roll is adapted to rest when within the airing chamber. This screen 30 is preferably hinged to the side wall of the outer cabinet 2- so that it may swing upwardly to permit the roll to be inserted more easily into the airing cabinet.

I prefer to provideithe L-shaped cabinet with any type of heating means for heating the developing liquid or air and fumes which pass upwardly thereinto. In the present instance, have illustrated the vertical leg of the cabinet as provided at its front Wall 12 with an outwardly extending projection 34 to house ahorizontally disposed electrical heating unit 36, the electrical wire 38 passing connection to a suitable source of power. By heating the gases and fumes during the developing operation the time for developing is considerably cut down. Alternatively the heating unit may be disposed beneath the ammoniatray 24'.

I may also provide the vertical leg of the L-shaped cabinet with water pans '40 so that Water vapor may be drawn or suffused into the developing tower. This construction is shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, wherein the side wall 42 of the longer leg of the L-! shaped cabinet is formed with one or more openings 44 communicating with vertically disposed pans 40 mounted on the wall and containing water 46. The water line is maintained substantially at the level of the communicating openings in the tower wall by providing filling openings 48 through the exterior walls of the pans so that when 'the water is put in it will rise to an exact height in the pans and no higher because it will i to evaporate to produce the Overflow the filling openings first, the same being slightly lower for this purpose. The water vapor has a strong chemical afiinity for the ammonia fumes which it is preferred to use in the present apparatus, and the combined water vapor and ammonia fumes produce a more thorough suifusion of the fumes through the developing chamber and a more expeditious and effective development of the paper.

Heretofore it has been customary to place open pans of liquid ammonia in the developing compartment and to permit the ammonia developing fumes. In such an instance, the moisture evaporated into the compartment with the ammonia fumes, will not be appreciablygreater than the normal atmospheric moisture and will have little if any effect upon the development of the light sensitive material. My invention, however, contemplates the production of a superhumid atmosphere having an excess of moisture over that normally present in the air or normally evaporated as from a pan of Water, and the said superhumid atmosphere is produced by arti-. ficially evaporating moisture into the compartment as by heating the aquaammoniaand hence the water content thereof. This will create a developing atmosphere rich in moisture content.

In Figure 7 of the drawings I haveillu'strated a modified construction of my developing tower wherein the pan need not be shifted to permit the introduction and withdrawal of the paper roll. In of the vertical walls 50 of the tower,' is inclined slightly outwardly to provide room for a door 52 hinged, if desired, to the base of the inclined wall so swung upwardly to permit the roll to be insert'ed from the side and positioned on end, ,in vertical position and supported by the screen 54 which overlies the pan containing the fuming liquid. The door when inclosed position inclines slightly downwardly as quired by in addition by means of the this modification, one

that the door mav be from a point at the .side of the developing a tower thereby eliminating the necessity of reaching under the towerfor cabinet as is rethe construction illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

. In the present instance the pan 24 contains ammonia liquid for developing a positive repaper commercially known as production Ozalid which prints directly from the original-tracing, producing red lines on a cream background but it is manifest that other papers or materials may be developed and that other liquids or materials producing other gases or fumes are within the contemplation of my invention.

It will be appreciated that my improved developing apparatus issimple in construction; that it has a maximum capacity and that by reason of the fact that the developing'tower or L-shaped cabinet is vertically disposed the rol of paper may he stood vertically on end during the developing-operation so that the rising gases can pass upwardly through the paper roll and in that Way will more quickly develop the paper and Without the need of means for positively forcing the fumes through the roll of paper as by the useaof a fan or circulation device; arrangement of the slidable pan and the hinged door, the roll is simply supported by the door and the door in turn supported by the pan when in fuming position; again when the pan is shifted to outer position the door is automatically released and opened to permit the automatic discharge of the developed roll and the insertion of a new roll. In the shifted position of the pan, to the left, the escape of the fumes is at once cut ofl by the pan housing and in addition the pan is placed directly under the filling opening.

' By reason of the ample height of the supporting legsfor the main cabinet the roll is easily withdrawn from the developing cabinet and passed upwardly into the airing cabinet, where it rests upon screen 30, so that the ammonia or other fumes, in the developing tower and airing compartment do not escape. In addition by reason of the bottom screen door of the airing cabinet and its top exit, the obnoxious fumes are constantly withdrawn by the natural draft created, or bv forced withdrawal if desired. and are discharged outside of the roomin which the apparatus is placed. Furthermore, the disposition of the heating means for the developing tower and the means for adding water vapor to the fumes constitute valuable adtemplated since other constructions for achorizontal chamber,

complishing the function of this cabinet are contemplated and the term is merely used in a descriptive sense and not as words of limitation.

or turns of the roll somewhat loose, the fumes will gain access to all parts of the surface and produce a uniform effect. The progress of the fumes will not be retarded and furthermore the capacity of the cabinet will be greatly increased in proportion to the floor space occupied.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A developing apparatus for reproduction paper comprising means .forming a developing chamber, a support at the base of the chamber for supporting a roll of paper to be developed, a container ed below the support and holding a quantity. of liquid ammonia and adapted in one position to directly underlie and maintain the support in position and adapted in a shifted position to clear said support to permit the opening of the support .tor the removal of the roll of paper.

2. A developing apparatus for reproduction paper comprising means forming a vertical hollow tower having a communicating horizontal. chamber formed with a ,filling opening, a foraminated closure for the bottom of the tower and a pan having a filling opening and adapted to contain uid said pan being adapted to be housed within the horizontal adapted to be shifted and positioned beneath the foraminated closure to support it and to cause the fumes to passupwardly into the tower. v

3. A developing apparatus tion paper comprising means forming a vertical hollow tower having a communicating a toraminated closure hinged to the bottom part of the tower and constituting a support for avertically posit-ioned roll of paper within the tower, and a pan adapted to contain fuming liquid and slidably and'snugly fitting within the horizontal housing, said pan when shifted to a position to one side of the tower permitting the pivotal movement of the foraminated closure for the discharge of the roll and when shifted beneath the tower. forming a support for maintaining theforaminated closure in closed position.

4. A developingapparatus for reproduction paper comprising means forming a vertical hollow tower'having a communicating horizontal chamber provided with a filling opening at a portion laterally of the tower,

additional shiftably mountshaped cabinet fuming liqchamber for filling andfor reproducand a pan adapted to contain fuming liquid snugly and slidably fitting within the horizontal chamber and adapted to be shifted to a position either beneath the tower or to a position beneath the filling opening.

5. A developing apparatus for'reproduction paper comprising a cabinet having a long and short communicating chamber, said long chamber forming a hollow vertically disposed tower cally disposed roll of paper, and a pan having an upper opening and adapted to contain a fuming liquid, said-pan being snugly housed within the short chamber of the cabinet and shiftable along said leg to a position beneath the vertical leg so that the fumes from the pan rise through the tower.

6. A developing apparatus for reproduction paper comprising a cabinet for enclosing paper to be developed, means forintrodueing developing gas into the cabinet and means for introducing water vapor with the gas. a.

7. A developing apparatus for reproduction paper shaped cabinet having an opening in the side of its vertical longer leg, means for supporting a roll of paper in vertical position within the longer leg, and a source of water vapor connected with said opening and means for introducing fumes into tile longer leg 0 the. cabinet.

8. A developing apparatus for reproduction paper comprising a substantially L- having its longer leg in vertical position, said longer leg having an opening in its side wall, a water pan mounted on the side wall and communicating with the opening, said pan having a filling opening disposed below the lower -edge of the commumcating opening between the water pan and the longer leg, and means for introducing fumes into the longer leg and means for supporting a roll of paper in vertical position within the longer leg.

9. A developing apparatus for reproduction paper comprising,a main cabinet and means forming a developing tower and an airing chamber within the main cabinet, the tower and chamber being disposed vertically to receive a roll of paper in vertical position therein, said tower and chamber having doors adapted to enclose a vertilong leg the longer leg and extending vertically and a foraminated closure closing an opening in the bottom of the main cabinet, a pan adapted to contain fuming liquid snugly and slidably fitting in the shorter leg and adapted to be positioned beneath the foraminated closure of the longer leg to cause the fumes to rise into the longer leg, and an exit at the top of the enclosing cabinet.

11. A developing apparatus for reproduction paper comprising an enclosing cabinet, an L-shaped cabinet having its hollow longer leg disposed vertically in the main cabinet and adapted to receive a vertically disposed roll of paper and having its shorter leg disposed beneath the main cabinet and communicating with the longer leg, said shorter leg having a filling opening communicating with the enclosing cabinet, a pan adapted to contain fuming liquid slidably and snugly fitting within the shorter leg and movable from a position beneath the filling opening to a posit-ion beneath the longer leg.

12. A developing apparatus for reproduction paper comprising relatively tall supporting legs a main cabinet mounted on said legs to receive a roll of paper, said cabinet having a bottom opening for the insertion of the paper. from a point between the legs, said cabinet having a partition to provide a separate vertical cabinet having a separate bottom opening, said separate" cabinet being adapted to receive a vertically disposed roll of paper therein, and means forsupporting a pan beneath the separate cabinet and said pan having an opening and adapted to contain fuming liquid'to cause the fumes to rise into the separate cabinet.

sensitive material, and means for treatingthe same with ammonia gas and separate means to simultaneously to the light sensitive material, whereby to hasten the action of the gas.

16. In a device of the class described, the

combination of means forming an enclosing developing casing, means for supporting light sensitive material in said casing, a container for water communicating with said casing and a container for liquid ammonia communicating with said casing and means for heating said casing for heating the water vapor and ammonia gas therein to hasten the developing action. 17. A device of the class described, the combination of means forming an enclosing developing chamber adapted to enclose light sensitive material, a container for water communicating with said chamber, a container for liquid chamber and means for to evaporate thesame.

18. A developing apparatus for light sensitive material comprising means for supportheating said liquid apply water vapor ammonia communicating with said ing the material to be developed, a water container, means for heating the water container whereby an excess of water vapor may be created, and means for creating an atmosphere of a chemically alkaline developing gas and to apply same to the light sensitive material in the presence of an excess of water vapor.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

I RICHARD FRED ALLIN.

13. A developing apparatus for reproduc- 7 tion paper comprising a cabinet having separate developing and airing chambers disposed vertically to accommodate a roll of paper when disposed vertically therein, each of said chambers having an opening in .its bottom, a foraminated closure for each opening arranged to support the roll on end, means for introducing developing fumes through the door of the developing chamber and an air and gas outlet at the top of the airing chamber.

14. A developing apparatus for reproduction paper comprising a cabinet having a developing chamber provided with an opening for the introduction of fumes and a roll of paper, a pan adapted to contain fuming material and adapted to be moved beneath the opening and means for supporting the roll of paper vertically within the chamber, said pan and supporting means being constructed .and arranged automatically to discharge the roll from the chamber when the pan is removed from the opening.

I 15 In a developing apparatus for reprouctlon paper of the character indicated, the

combination of means for supporting light 

